Keegan back in Fremont victory lane

FREMONT – To say Saturday was a special night at Fremont Speedway is a huge understatement.

Mark Keegan found victory lane for the 60th time in his career. Craig Mintz sported a throwback wing and claimed his second 410 sprint win of the season while Shawn Valenti was, well, Shawn Valenti and scored his 7th win of the year in the dirt trucks.

While there were familiar faces in the Engine Pro Victory Lane, how they got there was the story of the evening.

Before the night’s racing, the sixth class was inducted into the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame in front of packed grandstands. There was laughter, tears and a lot of pride on display for the 11 inductees and their family and friends.

Then there was the racing on Vision Quest Night. Not only were the stars of the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints in competition, but for the first time, 21 drivers came out of retirement to compete once again in the Legends Race behind the wheel of the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints.

“This is just a reminder of why I stopped racing,” Keegan said. “Winning helps but they are too much work and I have too much work at my shop. I don’t have the time it takes to do it and do it right.

“But, I’d do this deal again next year. This was a lot of fun.”

In the 410 sprint feature, the crowd was treated to a shoot out between Mintz and Cole Duncan, with the pair trading slide jobs lap after lap. In the end, Mintz was standing in the Engine Pro Victory Lane for the second time this season and the seventh time in his career. And, as a tribute to the Van Ness Family, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier in the day, Mintz carried the family’s familiar Bullwinkle logo and Norm’s Texaco banner on his wing.

“That was a blast,” said Mintz after beating out Duncan, Rob Chaney, Byron Reed and Caleb Griffith. “Hats off to Cole Duncan. He showed me his nose and blew by me and I decided it was time to get up on the wheel and run that curb a little harder. It bit me a couple of times. Lapped traffic is tough here when there’s multiple grooves and they were running side by side. We got lucky enough that we picked the right lane at the right time.

“These Gibsonburg folks … the people behind that wing … the Van Ness family … it’s a close knit group around our area. It means a lot to fly their colors and put it in victory lane,” added Mintz, who swept the weekend as he won Friday at Attica.

Not to be outdone, Valenti had to hold off a charging Dan Roepke Jr. to score the dirt truck win. Valenti also swept the weekend, taking the victory Friday at Attica. The Risingsun driver now has 10 feature wins in 2014.

Roepke Jr., Kent Brewer, Jimmy McGrath Sr. and Art Ball rounded out the first five placers.

“When I was trying to battle those two lapped trucks, I saw a nose under me and I was trying to get back to the cushion and I was able to do it,” Valenti said.

Fremont Speedway will be back in action Saturday on Crown Battery Salutes the Local Heroes night, with the 410 and 305 sprints in action along with the dirt trucks.